Hurricane Maria leaves at least 18 deaths in its destructive passage through the Caribbean

At least 18 people were killed by Hurricane Maria in the Caribbean, which continues its trajectory Thursday and threatens the northeast of the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The most hit was the island of Dominica, where Maria left 15 fatalities. In Guadeloupe, authorities reported two deaths and in Puerto Rico one

Visibly affected, the Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, confirmed the number of 15 dead and said that it was a miracle that the balance was not hundreds of victims.

The island was devastated and virtually incommunicado since Monday night.

"The country is stunned - there is no electricity, no running water - as a result of shattered pipelines in most communities and there are definitely no fixed or cellular services on the island, and it will be for quite some time," he said. the prime minister's adviser, Harley Henry.

Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rosselló, described Maria as "the most devastating storm of the century" and said it could take months to restore power to the island, which remains practically in the dark.

The eye of the hurricane, which struck the island on Wednesday, category 4, ripped roofs and trees. The death of a person was confirmed by the governor, who asked President Donald Trump to declare the island disaster zone. The French territory of Guadalupe suffered severe flooding on Monday. Two people were killed and at least two others remain missing after their ship sank off the island of Desirade, confirmed prefect Eric Maire.

Maria, who fell to category 3 with winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour, began to affect the northeast of the Dominican Republic Thursday before heading to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The US National Hurricane Center predicted it could regain strength in the next 24 hours.